Commission OKs Plan For New Dollar General

PRAIRIE GROVE — The new Dollar General Store in Prairie Grove will have almost 11,000 square feet and be located on the new bypass, at the corner of U.S. 62, now named Heritage Parkway, and Sundowner Road. Customers will turn at the traffic light at Heritage Parkway and Douglas Street to get to the new store.

Prairie Grove Planning Commission approved a large scale development plan for the new store Thursday night, contingent on the landscape plan to come before the commission in July. It will have 10,600 square feet, with 8,400 square feet in retail space and 2,200 square feet for storage.

Paxton Singleton with Global Surveying consultants in North Little Rock did not know when construction would begin but guessed the store would be completed in three to six months. Singleton addressed planners on behalf of the developer, P.B. Holdings. Dollar General will rent the building from P.B. Holdings, Singleton said.

After much discussion, the Planning Commission agreed to grant P. B. Holdings a variance to the required number of parking spaces, though the variance will not be as much as the developer requested.

Based on gross space, Prairie Grove would require 53 parking spaces for the store, one space for every 200 square feet. At first, Singleton said the company wanted to install 37 parking spaces, which was about the same number of spaces for the Dollar General Store that recently closed in Prairie Grove.

Singleton said 37 spaces was based on the number needed during peak times.

“We’d rather plant grass and trees than pave all this,” Singleton told commissioners.

Looking at requirements of other cities, Singleton said North Little Rock would require 33 parking spaces for this size building, Fayetteville 43 spaces and Little Rock would require 28 spaces. Many cities use retail space to determine the required number of parking spaces but Prairie Grove’s ordinance looks at gross space

“We just choose not to pave more of the property than is needed,” Singleton said

Planners, however, were reluctant to go as low as 37 parking spaces.

Commissioner J. C. Dobbs pointed out the parking lot at the now closed Dollar General Store

was full many times, with cars parking on the grass. Commissioners also pointed to limited parking at the Neighbor Market in Prairie Grove.

“I hate to go into it already behind,” Dobbs said, pointing out the new Dollar General will be on the bypass which should attract more customers due to its location.

Larry Oelrich, director of administrative services and public works, said he thought Singleton made a valid point, to use retail space, instead of gross space, in determining the number of parking spaces. If Prairie Grove used retail space than the store would need to have about 43 spaces.

“Can I meet you in the middle?” Singleton asked, saying 43 parking spaces would be OK with the company. He added that the property has enough room to add more parking spaces in the future, if needed.

“If Dollar General sees we need more and we’re turning away customers, we’ll have the ability to come back and do that (add spaces),” Singleton said.

The commission agreed to this and approved allowing 43 spaces for the new business.

In other action, commissioners approved a request for a home occupation at 216 S. Ozark, a conditional use permit for a fireworks stand at 13180 Highway 62 West, and a conditional use permit for a massage therapy business at 140 E. Buchanan St.